Considering move from SW to NE US
-
NJ is best state.
Don't say that, people might realize our bitching about NJ its just a way of trying to not have more people crammed in here!
-
So I grew up in Arizona as well as Bay Area, CA
(my parents were divorced). Moved to Austin, Texas in 2000 and NM a couple years ago. I've never lived in the Northeast, never even been further than NYC in that direction, though I loved Brooklyn.I've been thinking lately, partly because I've always hated the heat and partly because I'm sure global warming won't be kind to the area, that I'd like to check out the Northeast, maybe upstate NY or around there. Maybe Maine. Maybe even Canada if things get particularly a way here. In any case, besides taking time to actually visit the area which I plan to do next fall for about a month, hopefully, I'd love to get any opinions about living in that region. Likes? Dislikes? Favorite areas to consider? Suggestions? Anyone make the kind of geographic change I've described? Thanks!
wrote last edited by [email protected]I've lived in New England most of my life, and most other posters have covered the major points. One I would add is that the weather IS getting more extreme here, and we are now getting things like tornados and worse hurricanes. It's not anything like as bad as other places in the US but climate change is definitely effecting this area too. I would watch out for where you end up being a decent elevation, and give any bodies of water a good amount of space, no houses or apartments right on the edge of a river. There was an unprecedented flood that hit Leominster and Fitchburgh MA not long ago that shocked a lot of people because the region had never experienced something like it. That will probably be happening more often in the coming years.
-
Ok. Sure, I'm not familiar with price comparisons. I just know folks around here say it's expensive. Even in my city just South of Boston, a 1bdr apt is between $2K-3K.
Similar to the Bay Area.
-
I can tell you from experience that you’re not going to escape the heat in upstate NY. The summer temperatures may look cooler than Arizona on paper but the humidity makes things feel so much worse
Yup.
I visited AZ once and even though it was warmer, the dry air made it more bareable than humid Summers here. -
I've lived in New England most of my life, and most other posters have covered the major points. One I would add is that the weather IS getting more extreme here, and we are now getting things like tornados and worse hurricanes. It's not anything like as bad as other places in the US but climate change is definitely effecting this area too. I would watch out for where you end up being a decent elevation, and give any bodies of water a good amount of space, no houses or apartments right on the edge of a river. There was an unprecedented flood that hit Leominster and Fitchburgh MA not long ago that shocked a lot of people because the region had never experienced something like it. That will probably be happening more often in the coming years.
Oh wow - I've never considered the NE a place for tornadoes! Crazy. Thanks for the advice! A lot of great houses I'm seeing are right on the water so it's good to know.
-
I found Nashua NH to be crazy-polite, and me a Canadian. if you end up there, go with my envy.
And if you have to come over the line - legally, please! - then we'd love to have ya. Our national capitol is a crazy melting pot of newcomers, but the flatlander regions have the best opportunities.
...if you can avoid Flatlander Dementia. That's how our Peter Polyestre gets his votes -- the lack of mountains and oceans makes ya crazy!
Thanks for the advice! It would definitely be legal if I got to come
my company has offices in Canada so it should be available as a destination. Which areas are flatlander? And what do you think about NB/Nova Scotia? -
Depending on what you mean by upstate ny or Maine, some of these areas are short on jobs so make sure you have enough opportunity. If you’re looking for small cities, Albany is great. I think Binghamton is coming back but I don’t know about Syracuse or Rochester. If you’re talking really upstate …. I haven’t been back in years and really miss that l. I don’t know as much about Maine but they’re more tourist oriented, which is a problem this year
It really seems like we get a lot less snow than when I was a kid in upstate ny. It makes not be as much a change as people are claiming
Now I live near Boston, close enough for weather to moderate, and we only get a couple snowstorms a year. We never get accumulation lasting through the winter anymore. This summer I had my AC in non-stop for the heatwaves and humidity, so I very much see the desire to head north
Thanks! Yeah, I've been looking at Rochester though I'm not firmly set on anywhere yet. What do you mean by coming back? And yeah, I bet it's been really hard on the areas that rely on Canadian tourism!
-
Thanks! Yeah, I've been looking at Rochester though I'm not firmly set on anywhere yet. What do you mean by coming back? And yeah, I bet it's been really hard on the areas that rely on Canadian tourism!
wrote last edited by [email protected]I grew up near Binghamton. Back then we had several IBM complexes with thousands of well paying jobs. I don’t think any were in Binghamton itself but it lifted the economy of the entire region. Then IBM left. The jobs were gone and nothing ever replaced them. Young adults moved away to places with better economies. My younger brother was the last one left, talking about flipping properties with a credit card. Those towns directly affected may never come back.
But Binghamton was more diversified, the center of economy moved to different towns, the university has been doing great and incubating local business. It does have some culture, some sports, some nightlife. Property values have gone back up. The new local economic centers have new construction and new infrastructure, even if the older sections are still fading
I wouldn’t want to move back to the town I grew up in, but I can see moving to the area.
-
So I grew up in Arizona as well as Bay Area, CA
(my parents were divorced). Moved to Austin, Texas in 2000 and NM a couple years ago. I've never lived in the Northeast, never even been further than NYC in that direction, though I loved Brooklyn.I've been thinking lately, partly because I've always hated the heat and partly because I'm sure global warming won't be kind to the area, that I'd like to check out the Northeast, maybe upstate NY or around there. Maybe Maine. Maybe even Canada if things get particularly a way here. In any case, besides taking time to actually visit the area which I plan to do next fall for about a month, hopefully, I'd love to get any opinions about living in that region. Likes? Dislikes? Favorite areas to consider? Suggestions? Anyone make the kind of geographic change I've described? Thanks!
wrote last edited by [email protected]I would not say the northeast US around Boston is that much better in escaping the heat, only marginally a little bit at best. We've recorded a heat index of 41C (106F) earlier this summer. Summer dewpoints typically around 17-23C (63 - 74F), so the heat index is always several degrees higher than the air temperature. Because of the humidity, you may still find it quite uncomfortable without the air conditioning, and it is rare for nighttime lows to drop below 20C (68F) in summer. I typically see temps only fall to around 72-76F (22-24C) at 10pm and it is still humid. Daytime highs typically around 29 - 32C (84 - 90F). Subtract 1 or 2C for areas far away from the cities heading towards the mountains in the north.
There is always a threat of hurricanes on the US side of the border every year in the summer and fall.
In the winter months, snow and subfreezing temperatures are irregular in areas around the major cities, though nighttime lows do go below freezing even within the major cities. The major cities tend to get rain when storm systems roll through, followed by cold and dry, but if you are lucky, there may be snow in the cities (mainly about Boston). The sun sets before 4:00 p.m. here and it is dark at 4:30 p.m.
I'd recommend Toronto or Ottawa if you actually want to escape the heat. To my understanding, they have the lowest dew points and air temperatures of any major city east of Winnipeg. They also have later sunsets and snow is more regular in Ottawa.
-
Thanks for the advice! It would definitely be legal if I got to come
my company has offices in Canada so it should be available as a destination. Which areas are flatlander? And what do you think about NB/Nova Scotia?NB and NovaScotia are real salt-of-the-earth communities, but one of them run by apparently a thuggy oil baron family and both of them victimized by their own voting.
I've spent more time in NS, so when I say "there's only one 2-lane road to get anywhere," it's from my own experience driving though lower Sackville and other small towns on small town roads and all but chewing the steering wheel in frustration and metropolitan impatience. It's true, but I could be more patient.
But both are blessed with just stunning scenery and usually very nice people whose accents you can still parse properly
My in-laws - absolutely great people - have lived there 20 years now - still considered newcomers - and have terrible Internet and dodgy winter power; but if you can suffer that I can't recommend it more for the peace and the community feeling.
I HAVE heard that Calgary (Alberta) has been judged the best city to live in, given opportunities and cost of living. If you can live in an oasis of clue in a blue sea of our conservatives and their voters, I recommend that as well. It has mountains nearby (and Reddit Lake aka Moraine Lake), so there's that for the sanity.
